


hold me close

by skittykitty



Series: Marble Hornets October Prompts [5]
Category: Creepypasta - Fandom, Marble Hornets
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Gen, M/M, soulmarks AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:35:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26839060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skittykitty/pseuds/skittykitty
Summary: Soulmarks exist, and Tim had lived his whole life with a single one. A circle with an X through it. But now he was going to college and hopefully he would gain more.
Relationships: Brian/Timothy "Tim" Wright (One-Sided)
Series: Marble Hornets October Prompts [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947082
Kudos: 15





	hold me close

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Today’s prompt is “Soulmate AU” and I went with a more platonic Soulmarks AU, I really love playing with what marks people get so I hope you like it!
> 
> Title from “Baby Hotline” by Jack Stauber. It was originally going to be from “It’s Alright” by the same guy, except it doesn’t really have a big focus on lyrics sadly. But, finally something other than 1984! Maybe I’ll finally start branching out with my titles!

When he was younger, it was easier. 

He was alone, and it was perfect. No one had any expectations for him to be their perfect soulmate or want to date him. It was just him and the slashed-open circle on the back of his neck.

Tim hadn’t ever really _wanted_ soulmarks. They weren’t inherently sexual, or even friendly. You could have matching marks with someone you hated. 

But normally most marks were about friendship.

Marks usually showed someone’s intent. For instance, if a mark was on someone’s face it meant romantic intentions; on the chest meant close friends, but arms and legs were more ambiguous.

Sometimes friends had soulmarks on their arms or legs, and sometimes hate soulmarks showed up there.

Hate soulmarks were very rare to see, as two people didn’t usually hate each other to the level some others loved one another. But even rarer than that was unreciprocated soulmarks.

Maybe it was known as rare because no one wanted to tell the world they were rejected.

 _One of every ten love soulmarks works out into a stable relationship,_ a scientific article had said. _And, one out of every five love soulmarks is unrequited._

The article had been bashed and destroyed by the public. The scientists behind it had backpedaled and pretended the information was incorrect.

It wasn’t.

The first soulmark someone ever had with him was unrequited.

His first friend, _only_ friend, Brian Thomas, whose eyes shined like a lighthouse in Tim’s darkness. He knew how to make Tim feel safe, and for a few months, it was just the two of them.

One day, Brian had a soulmark over his face. Stars. _Dozens of stars across his cheeks._ As Brian saw his markless face, his face fell.

For a brief moment, he wished he _had_ gotten a matching soulmark with Brian. It would have been easier, definitely. 

For the rest of the day Brian’s smiles were fake and his eyes dark with unhappiness. They didn’t talk for a few days, though whether that was about soulmarks or homework was questionable.

Brian was smiling again and cracking jokes as if the soulmark had never appeared. But it was still there— forever a reminder of Brian’s unreciprocated love.

* * *

He didn’t get another soulmark until many years later. 

Jay had been desperate and needed help. But within a few weeks, the two were stuck together. They were in danger together, and their soulmarks matched that.

Handcuffs.

Their soulmarks were _handcuffs._

The two of them were stuck together in this hell.

* * *

Tim found out fairly late that Alex and Jay had matching soulmarks. A camera lens on their shoulders. It was sweet until he remembered the fact that Alex was trying to kill them.

But… a _camera lens._

_All marks have a meaning behind them._

Even if it was something you had in common that still meant something. So what did a camera lense mean? They had met through film, so it could be attached to that. Or… or it was about _perspective._

Alex and Jay had opposite perspectives about how life would go. Alex believed everyone near him needed to die to be saved. Tim believed they were already saved, that they didn’t _need_ to die.

Maybe Jay could convince Alex to spare them.

* * *

After his medical records were publicly shown in front of the world, Tim noticed a third soulmark upon his skin.

Maybe something had finally clicked— 

There were stars on his chest.

_Brian’s stars._

It had been _years_ since they’d talked, why were they coming up now?

* * *

Even after Jay’s death _(apparently, Jay_ couldn’t _convince_ _Alex to spare him)_ , his mark didn’t fade. Most didn’t until you truly forgot about the subject of the mark.

Would a day come when he wouldn’t remember the image of Jay’s body burned into his retinas? Wouldn’t know what he had looked like— terrified, happy, _alive._

Someday he would forget and that _terrified him._

* * *

His final soulmark appeared when he realized he would have to confront Alex.

There was a red line across his throat. _A hate soulmark._

Heh, guess Alex really _did_ hate him.

Tim took a moment to trace his hand over the soulmark. That would be where Alex would be aiming. 

One of them would die in this encounter, and it wouldn’t be him.

* * *

Everyone was dead, and his first mark _burned._

The back of his neck stung with the symbol of the Operator upon his skin.

He was alone now.

Maybe he’d be alone for the rest of his life.

But he wouldn’t forget the people whose marks he bore. It was the least he owed them.

**Author's Note:**

> I forgot to mention that Alex’s mark with Tim is the bullet wound Jay got! It’s because Tim is going in there for revenge, while Alex is there just to kill him. I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Tomorrow’s prompt will be “Masky is the dad of the manor”! Who knows if I’ll actually manage to create fluff for the local dad. You can find me on my [tumblr](https://skitter-kitteruwu.tumblr.com/) where you can pester me to finish half-thought out ideas and scream to me about fics!!


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